The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued contrasting weather alerts that could disrupt domestic and international travel itineraries in the coming week. An advisory published on 18 May forecasts heavy monsoon-onset rainfall across Kerala, coastal Karnataka, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and parts of the Northeast, while a severe heatwave is set to grip Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh with temperatures touching 46 °C. For leisure travellers and corporate mobility planners, the dual warnings mean flight delays, rerouted road traffic and potential ferry cancellations. Hill-state highways to Gangtok, Cherrapunji and Arunachal Pradesh are prone to landslides once pre-monsoon downpours intensify, and coastal authorities have already advised fishermen and marine-tourism operators to avoid rough seas with gusts up to 60 km/h. Conversely, extreme heat in the north poses occupational-health risks for site visits, manufacturing audits and outdoor project work.
![IMD Weather Advisory Warns Travellers: Heavy Rains in South, Severe Heatwave in North India]()
Should you need to secure or modify visas quickly because changing weather has upended your schedule, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers step-by-step guidance, digital submissions and real-time tracking—an efficient safety net when sudden flight changes or rerouted itineraries leave little time for administrative delays.
Companies sending expatriate engineers and short-term assignees should schedule activities early in the morning, ensure air-conditioned transport and stock hydration packs. Employers are also reminded that state labour departments can enforce afternoon work bans on construction sites when the ‘red’ heat-alert threshold is crossed. Airlines have begun issuing travel waivers for select Kerala and Mangaluru flights through 22 May, and rail operators are monitoring track temperatures in north-central corridors that can require speed restrictions. Travel insurers note a spike in claims linked to weather-related trip curtailments in May 2025 and expect a repeat pattern this year. Although India’s monsoon formally arrives over Kerala around 26 May, meteorologists stress that erratic pre-monsoon convection is already strong enough to affect aviation. Travellers should sign up for airline SMS alerts and consult the IMD’s ‘Nowcast’ portal for district-level updates before finalising on-ground transport arrangements.
Should you need to secure or modify visas quickly because changing weather has upended your schedule, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers step-by-step guidance, digital submissions and real-time tracking—an efficient safety net when sudden flight changes or rerouted itineraries leave little time for administrative delays.
Companies sending expatriate engineers and short-term assignees should schedule activities early in the morning, ensure air-conditioned transport and stock hydration packs. Employers are also reminded that state labour departments can enforce afternoon work bans on construction sites when the ‘red’ heat-alert threshold is crossed. Airlines have begun issuing travel waivers for select Kerala and Mangaluru flights through 22 May, and rail operators are monitoring track temperatures in north-central corridors that can require speed restrictions. Travel insurers note a spike in claims linked to weather-related trip curtailments in May 2025 and expect a repeat pattern this year. Although India’s monsoon formally arrives over Kerala around 26 May, meteorologists stress that erratic pre-monsoon convection is already strong enough to affect aviation. Travellers should sign up for airline SMS alerts and consult the IMD’s ‘Nowcast’ portal for district-level updates before finalising on-ground transport arrangements.
